VALLEY / VENTURA ROUNDUP : Track

Cathy Prater of Agoura High, the third-place finisher in the girls’ 300-meter low hurdles in last year’s state championships, said Monday that she plans to run track for UC Davis next year.

Prater took recruiting trips to Arkansas, Oregon and UC Davis before deciding to attend the NCAA Division II school, which does not offer athletic scholarships.

“Everything just felt right when I went there,” Prater said. “I like the fact that Davis is a little closer to home than the other schools. I like the fact it’s a college town and I like the fact that academically the school is very good.”

Prater recently ruled out Arkansas as one of her final choices, but turning down Oregon and an opportunity to compete in front of its devout track fans was difficult.

“Everybody there loves track,” she said. “I mean, there aren’t many schools who sell season tickets to track meets. . . . But I just felt like I’d feel more comfortable at a Division II school. I just feel like there will be less pressure on me to excel right away. At the Division I level, they kind of own you.”

Although Prater has a personal best of 44.45 seconds in the 300 hurdles, she is also a talented distance runner. She finished fourth in last year’s Ventura County cross-country championships even though it was her first season competing in the sport.

“I definitely plan on running cross-country for them,” she said. “I really enjoyed myself last season and I want to continue.”